MUMBAI: The central government has sanctioned the viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs 1,920 crore for the Rs 9,630-crore Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), which will bring Navi Mumbai much closer to South Mumbai, and will make travelling to the outskirts of the city like Panvel — where the proposed airport is coming up — a breeze.

With funding in place, the much-awaited showpiece project will finally take off, and will considerably ease traffic congestion in the eastern corridor of the city. The six-lane, 22-km MTHL will be build on the public-private partnership model, and it will connect Sewri in South Mumbai with Chirle in Navi Mumbai and decongest the eastern corridor as well as Thane creek bridge which connects Mankhurd and Vashi.

"MTHL is expected to carry over 62,000 passenger cars in 2019 and an annual growth of 5 per cent is estimated. About 70 hectares of land has been acquired for the project and 28 hectares will be acquired soon," said MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana.

He added bids will be finalised by the end of May 2013 and after financial closure, the construction of this bridge will begin by October, and is likely to be completed in five years. "As part of the project, MMRDA will also build a connector between Worli and Sewri which is likely to cost about Rs 600 crore. The 4.3-km Sewri-Worli (East-West) elevated connector running from Sewri Railway station to Dr Annie Besant Road (Worli) will provide east connectivity at the Sewri Interchange of the MTHL.

"The Detailed Project Report for this elevated connector is nearing completion . The third major connector for traffic dispersal is the Chirle-NH 17-Mumba-Pune Expressway Connector. The feasibility study for this project is also under way," added Asthana. Many Indian and international companies participated in the pre-qualification bids for MTHL, and MMRDA shortlisted five consortia — M/s Cintra-Soma-Srei, M/s Gammon-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering, M/s GMR-L &T-Samsung, M/s IRB-Hyundai and M/sTata Realty and Infrastructure-Autostrade-Vinci Concessions.

MMRDA is also on the verge of completing another major project — the Eastern Freeway, which will link south Mumbai to the eastern suburbs. The 17-km long Eastern Freeway from Orange Gate (South Mumbai) to Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road is likely to be completed in May this year.